cook's VOYAGE TO OCT. 



way of being soon rectified. It is, however, now 

 pretty certain, that the islands already enumerated 

 are all that have yet been discovered by the Russians 

 in that sea to the southward of 60° of latitude. 



It is from these islands that the sea-otter skins, 

 the most valuable article of the fur trade, are for the 

 most part drawn ; and as they are brought completely 

 under the Russian dominion, the merchants have 

 settlements upon them where their factors reside, for 

 the purpose of bartering with the natives. It was 

 with a view to the farther increase and extension of 

 this trade, that the admiralty of Okotsk fitted out 

 an expedition for the purpose of making discoveries 

 to the north and north-east of the islands above 

 mentioned, and gave the command of it, as I have 

 already observed, to Lieutenant Synd. This gentle- 

 man, having directed his course too far to the north- 

 ward, failed in the object of his voyage ; for, as we 

 never saw the sea-otter to the northward of Bristol 

 Bay, it seems probable that they shun those latitudes 

 where the larger kind of amphibious sea animals 

 abound. This was the last expedition undertaken 

 by the Russians for prosecuting discoveries to the 

 eastward ; but they will undoubtedly make a proper 

 use of the advantages we have opened to them, by 

 the discovery of Cook's river. 



Notwithstanding the general intercourse that, for 

 the last forty years, hath taken place between the 

 natives, the Russians, and Cossacks, the former are 

 not more distinguished from the latter by their 

 features and general figure, than by their habits and 

 cast of mind. Of the persons of the natives, a de- 

 scription hath been already given, and I shall only 

 add, that their stature is much below the common 

 size. This Major Behm attributes, in a great measure, 

 to their marrying so early; both sexes generally 

 entering into the conjugal state at the age of thirteen 

 or fourteen. Their industry is abundantly conspi- 

 cuous, without being contrasted with the laziness of 



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